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Alleyne candid amidst hype: "These are the plays I know I can make"

IMG_5630by: Parker Thune04/10/26ParkerThune

In a portal cycle that saw Oklahoma add a pair of highly coveted WR transfers in Parker Livingstone and Trell Harris, the Sooners’ addition of Mackenzie Alleyne this past January came with little fanfare.

After all, Alleyne was a walk-on at Washington State at the time. He’d been a Cougar for two seasons, and had recorded a grand total of four career catches for 72 yards. To the naked eye, Alleyne was nothing more than depth, a warm scout-team body.

Alleyne never got the memo, because that hasn’t been the case thus far. Throughout spring practice, there’s arguably been no bigger stockriser on Oklahoma’s roster than the 5-foot-11, 180-pound transfer receiver. He’s been undeniably impressive, day after day. And on Thursday, during an open session with a drove of reporters in attendance, Alleyne flashed his big-play potential yet again. He leaped high in the air to snag a ridiculous one-handed catch with cornerback Prince Ijioma draped all over him.

“These are the plays I know I can make,” Alleyne remarked after Thursday’s practice. “I always want to be that playmaker; I want to be that go-to player. You need something done, I want to be that player you get the ball to. That’s just something I’ve always lived by. I want the ball in my hands, and I want to score touchdowns for the team. I want to make everybody in the stadium happy and excited. That’s just how I roll when I get on the field.”

In a crowded receiver room that features the likes of Harris, Livingstone and Isaiah Sategna at the top, Alleyne will have to continue fighting for a share of the snaps. Two strong weeks of spring practice aren’t enough to guarantee him anything come the season. But nobody’s more confident in his ability than Alleyne himself. The redshirt sophomore has risen to the level of competition that Oklahoma boasts, and then some.

“Even as a little kid, I’ve always made the plays,” Alleyne explained. “In high school, I just never got the film and never got the opportunities. So once I got to college, I made the most out of everything I can get. Because I know I deserve the looks that everybody else gets, and I know I can go out here and make the plays.”

Another thing that works in Alleyne’s favor is his chemistry with John Mateer. The two overlapped at Washington State in 2024, although Alleyne didn’t catch an in-game pass from Mateer in Pullman. Now reunited in 2026, the familiarity with the Sooners’ starting signal-caller has helped Alleyne ease into the offense.

“He’s a lot more comfortable; I’m more comfortable with him,” said Alleyne of Mateer. “When we get on the field, it just makes everything click even easier. We’re always on the same page. I can look at him, he can give me a signal, and I know the ball’s gonna be coming my way.”

Alleyne’s mission is simple: to continue stacking good days. The Sooners have just nine days until their spring game, which will mark the end of their spring practice period. They won’t hit the field for padded action again until August. But with Harris, Elijah Thomas and Daniel Odom sidelined due to injuries, Alleyne has continually made every opportunity count. And there’s no reason he shouldn’t be able to stay in that groove over the course of the next week. If nothing else, his performance has already confirmed that the Oklahoma staff was more than justified in doling out a scholarship to a rather unproven Pac-12 walk-on.

“Every day, I feel like I have something to prove,” Alleyne declared. “I want people to know what my name is.”

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